Brian Cox

A leading man on the London stage since the 1960s, Brian Cox was most often cast in character and supporting roles when his career led him to Hollywood in the 1990s. The accomplished Shakespearean act...
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Rockers The Cure stunned fans at a science show in London on Friday night (19Dec14) by teaming up with Monty Python star Eric Idle for a performance of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. The band made a special appearance at Brian And Robin's Christmas Compendium, a science show hosted by Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince, at London's Hammersmith Apollo ahead of the band's own gigs at the venue over the weekend (20-21Dec14).
Robert Smith's group closed out the show with Idle, singing his hit track with hosts Cox and Ince, as well as TV host Dara O'Briain.
Idle documented the special performance on Twitter.com by reposting videos and pictures taken by fans at the event.

Scottish actor Brian Cox was "amazed" at the attention his country's referendum received in the U.S. and has branded the political vote "one of the proudest moments" of his life. The Troy star felt "enormous pride" at September's (14) referendum, in which Scots voted on whether to remain part of Great Britain or become independent.
Cox is adamant Scots should be "more boastful" of their achievements after they voted to stay in the U.K.
He tells Britain's Daily Record, "I was amazed at the attention we had in America. I think we showed our mettle for all the problems that came up. I think we have an enormous amount to be proud of. We set an example to the rest of the world. Scotland hasn't quite understood that, we're not boastful as a nation and I think we could be a bit more boastful because what that referendum achieved was pretty amazing. It was a tremendous learning curve for everyone, myself included... It was one of the proudest moments of my life... I was never more proud to be Scottish."

Scottish pop stars including Franz Ferdinand, Deacon Blue and Amy Macdonald showed their support for independence from the U.K. by performing at a special campaign rally on Sunday (14Sep14). The musicians were joined by others including Mogwai and Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader for the show in front of 2,000 supporters in the country's capital Edinburgh.
The stars were performing to show their backing for Scotland breaking free from the U.K. ahead of the country's crunch vote on Thursday (18Sep14).
Other celebrities at the concert included Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd and actor Brian Cox.
Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross told Scotland's Daily Record newspaper, "Tonight reminds people we're nearly there but we're not there yet. Hopefully we're sending people away prepared for the last few days."

Legendary comedy troupe Monty Python sealed their live comeback in front of 16,000 fans in London on Tuesday night (01Jul14). John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin kicked off their Monty Python Live (mostly) residency at the O2 Arena in front of a sellout crowd, marking their first public performance together since 1980.
They tackled classic sketches including the famous Dead Parrot gag, their I'm A Lumberjack song, and a rousing rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
The show also featured a live cameo from Stephen Fry, while TV star Professor Brian Cox and Stephen Hawking appeared in a taped segment, which included the revered physicist being pushed into a river.
However, the first gig sparked lacklustre reviews from critics, with many suggesting the act relied too much on old jokes and video sequences.
Peter Bradshaw of Britain's The Guardian writes, "Monty Python Live (mostly) isn't bad: it gives the crowd exactly what they want but relies pretty heavily on the fan love and makes a hefty withdrawal from the reputation bank... This live show won't make any converts. But it sends the faithful away happy."
The Independent's John Walsh writes, "I was a fan of the Monty Ps from the start, and it pains me to criticise them. But this is desperately lazy production, resting on its laurels, uninterested in showcasing new material, relying on TV footage and the whooping adulation of an audience who know all the words," but adds, "Elderly, much-loved and much-seen sketches are revivified in their mid-70s glory."
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts writes, "Once they were the sharpest thing in satire. Last night, quite often, they looked and sounded like a dodgy tribute band."
Hugh Grant, Christoph Waltz, David Walliams, and Emma Thompson were among the celebrity guests who caught the show, which runs through until 20 July (14).

Rolling Stones stars Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts have filmed a skit to promote the Monty Python comedy troupe's live comeback. In the sketch, posted on YouTube.com on Monday (30Jun14), Jagger jokes that the comedians planning for a string of London reunion dates may be past their prime.
He asks bandmate Watts, "Monty Python? Are they still going? Who wants to see that again? They're a bunch of wrinkly old men trying to relive their youth and make a load of money."
The joke is a reference to criticism aimed at the Stones, who are still touring in their 70s.
Meanwhile, the five surviving members of the British comedy troupe - John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin - have revealed that astrophysicists Stephen Hawking and Brian Cox will feature in filmed skits and comedian David Walliams will conduct red carpet interviews at their final show on 20 July (14).

20th Century Fox Film via Everett Collection
The stars of Mel Gibson's historical epic Braveheart reunited in Edinburgh, Scotland on Tuesday (24Jun14) to mark 20 years since filming began on the movie.
Actors Brian Cox, David O'Hara, Angus Macfadyen and Peter Mullan reunited on the tartan red carpet to mark the 20th anniversary of filming and to commemorate 700 years since the Battle of Bannockburn, which is portrayed in the final scenes of the Oscar-winning movie.
The actors took part in a question-and-answer session after a special screening of the film, and Gibson, who was unable to attend the event in person, sent in a pre-recorded video message to mark the moment.
In the clip, the film's lead actor and director, said, "It is hard to believe that 20 years ago this month our production got underway in Scotland. And what a production it was. I was fortunate to be able to bring together so many talented people for this project. Together we went into battle with a goal of telling a good story while being cinematically compelling. This evening's event honouring Braveheart two decades later acknowledges that we accomplished what we set out to do... it is very gratifying indeed."
The 1995 film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson.

DreamWorks
For the bulk of every Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, moose and squirrel would engage in high concept escapades that satirized geopolitics, contemporary cinema, and the very fabrics of the human condition. With all of that to work with, there's no excuse for why the pair and their Soviet nemeses haven't gotten a decent movie adaptation. But the ingenious Mr. Peabody and his faithful boy Sherman are another story, intercut between Rocky and Bullwinkle segments to teach kids brief history lessons and toss in a nearly lethal dose of puns. Their stories and relationship were much simpler, which means that bringing their shtick to the big screen would entail a lot more invention — always risky when you're dealing with precious material.
For the most part, Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman handles the regeneration of its heroes aptly, allowing for emotionally substance in their unique father-son relationship and all the difficulties inherent therein. The story is no subtle metaphor for the difficulties surrounding gay adoption, with society decreeing that a dog, no matter how hyper-intelligent, cannot be a suitable father. The central plot has Peabody hosting a party for a disapproving child services agent and the parents of a young girl with whom 7-year-old Sherman had a schoolyard spat, all in order to prove himself a suitable dad. Of course, the WABAC comes into play when the tots take it for a spin, forcing Peabody to rush to their rescue.
Getting down to personals, we also see the left brain-heavy Peabody struggle with being father Sherman deserves. The bulk of the emotional marks are hit as we learn just how much Peabody cares for Sherman, and just how hard it has been to accept that his only family is growing up and changing.
DreamWorks
But more successful than the new is the film's handling of the old — the material that Peabody and Sherman purists will adore. They travel back in time via the WABAC Machine to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and the Trojan War, and 18th Century France, explaining the cultural backdrop and historical significance of the settings and characters they happen upon, all with that irreverent (but no longer racist) flare that the old cartoons enjoyed. And oh... the puns.
Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman is a f**king treasure trove of some of the most amazingly bad puns in recent cinema. This effort alone will leave you in awe.
The film does unravel in its final act, bringing the science-fiction of time travel a little too close to the forefront and dropping the ball on a good deal of its emotional groundwork. What seemed to be substantial building blocks do not pay off in the way we might, as scholars of animated family cinema, have anticipated, leaving the movie with an unfinished feeling.
But all in all, it's a bright, compassionate, reasonably educational, and occasionally funny if not altogether worthy tribute to an old favorite. And since we don't have our own WABAC machine to return to a time of regularly scheduled Peabody and Sherman cartoons, this will do okay for now.
If nothing else, it's worth your time for the puns.
3/5
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Scottish actor Brian Cox hates sharing his name with a TV physicist as he is often mistakenly invited to events to talk about quantum mechanics. The Manhunter star is often confused with another Brian Cox, the former D:Ream rocker who is now best known for presenting science shows on British TV.
Actor Cox admits the shared name often leads to confusion, telling Britain's The Guardian, "Professor Brian Cox is the bane of my life. He's a remarkable young man and does a remarkable job, but it is irritating to keep being confused with him: 'Can you come on TV and discuss quantum physics?'"
The musician-turned-scientist has now reacted to the actor's comments, writing in a post on Twitter.com, "I'm the bane of his life! He should see the look on my face when I turn up and they expect me to play Hamlet!"

Courteney Cox sparked rumours she has a new man in her life after she was spotted attending Jennifer Aniston's holiday party over the weekend (07-08Dec13) with Snow Patrol star Johnny Mcdaid. The actress was photographed arriving at the bash, held by her former Friends co-star in Bel Air, California on Sunday (08Dec13), with the Northern Irish musician.
A source tells America's Life & Style magazine, "Courteney definitely looked like she was on a date! They were holding hands during the party."
Cox's ex-husband David Arquette recently revealed the actress had split from Brian Van Holt and is now seeing someone else, although he declined to mention the name of her new man.
British singer Ed Sheeran recently laughed off rumours suggesting he is dating the actress, but revealed he also knows her new boyfriend, telling E! News, "I read in the press that I'm now Courteney's younger lover. It's not true. It's very funny because I know the person that is her lover and I send them all the emails of everything. It's very funny."

Played Dr. Finch, the oddly hypnotic psychotherapist in the feature adaptation of Augusten Burroughs' "Running With Scissors"

Appeared as an IRA leader in "The Boxer"

Made TV debut in "Therese Raquin" opposite Kate Nelligan (PBS)

Reprised stage role of Steven in the film version of "In Celebration"

Summary

A leading man on the London stage since the 1960s, Brian Cox was most often cast in character and supporting roles when his career led him to Hollywood in the 1990s. The accomplished Shakespearean actor was well-known for his world tour as "King Lear" with the National Theater, and brought that same commanding delivery and strong presence to countless roles as movie bad guys, starting with his chilling portrayal of Hannibal Leckter in Michael Mann's cult thriller, "Manhunter" (1986). That film proved to be a false start in the American movie business, but Cox returned a decade later, and this time, his solid frame and mastery of accents made him a busy supporting player in blockbusters like "Rob Roy" (1995) and "The Bourne Identity" (2002), as well as acclaimed indie fare from Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, and Woody Allen. Cox's occasional leading roles did not go unnoticed, with the actor earning and Emmy for portraying infamous Nazi Hermann Goering in the TNT movie "Nuremberg" (TNT, 2000). Cox's key roles in comedies like "Super Troopers" (2001) further demonstrated his versatility across genres and nations, while his countrymen revered him as one of the finest actors ever to emerge from Scotland.

Education

Name

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Notes

"One of the reasons I work in this country [the USA] now is because [although] I get on with a lot of people in England, I've also pissed a lot of people off over there." – Cox quoted in Time Out New York, Sept. 17-24, 1998

"A wonderful old friend of mine, Fulton McKay, who played the old tramp in the Bill Forsythe film 'Local Hero,' used to tell me, 'Brian, why are you worried about being a star? Just be a good actor. Say your prayers and be a good actor. It's the best advice anyone ever gave me." – Cox quoted to The Los Angeles Times, Aug. 1, 1999

"I'm curious about evil people. I get quite emotional about them and quite fond of them. I never judge them. There's a deficiency which makes them lose any sense of right or wrong. Hannibal Lecter is frightening because he has no boundaries. We haven't found his fear and we haven't found his love." – Cox on one of his better known roles, quoted in The London Times, Jan. 2, 2000

"It sounds vain, but I dread ever being offered a knighthood. I love gongs, I love Oscars, but I would have to turn a knighthood down because it sanctions something I don't believe in. It sanctions keeping people in their place." – Cox quoted in The London Times, Jan. 2, 2000

"People that knew me well when I was younger always said that my career was going to take off when I was much older," said Cox. "I was a little bit resentful of that, because I felt I had a bit to offer, and I had a very good career. But I aim for the long haul. It made more sense, and certainly has given me more weight as an actor, to come on the scene like a tank, proceeding forward fully equipped and fully armored." – quoted in The Los Angeles Times, Oct. 22, 2006

Cox was a diabetic and has worked to promote a diabetes research facility in his hometown of Dundee.